Method and related apparatus for handling packet discard in a wireless communications system

Abstract

A method for handling packet discard in a transmitter of a wireless communications system includes activating a “use of a special value of a header extension field” mode, discarding a plurality of service data units, wherein the last service data unit of the plurality of service data units ends at an end of a first protocol data unit using the special value in a header extension field, and setting a value of a field to be a sequence number of a second protocol data unit, wherein the field is utilized for indicating a receiver to discard all not yet successfully received service data units that have segments with sequence number being less than the value of the field, and the second protocol data unit is next to the first protocol data unit.

1. A method for handling, service data unit, called SDU hereinafter, discard in a transmitter of a wireless communications system, the wireless communications system comprising the transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising:
 activating a mode of “use of a special value of a header extension field”, wherein the mode represents that, in a protocol data unit, called PDU hereinafter, a header extension field with a special value indicates both that a succeeding octet following the header extension field contains data and that a last octet of the PDU is a last octet of a SDU; 
 forming a first PDU, wherein the first PDU contains a last SDU and a header extension field with the special value in the first PDU is used instead of a length indicator for indicating that the last octet of the last SDU is the last octet of the first PDU and that the succeeding octet following the header extension field contains data; 
 discarding a plurality of SDUs including the last SDU; and 
 setting a value of a field to be a sequence number of a second PDU, wherein the field is utilized for indicating the receiver to discard all not yet successfully received SDUs that have segments with sequence number being less than the value of the field, and the second PDU is next to the first PDU. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the field is a Move Receiving Window Sequence Number field. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the field is carried in a STATUS PDU. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising outputting the STATUS PDU to the receiver. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of SDUs contains only one SDU. 
     
     
       6. A communications device for handling, service data unit, called SDU hereinafter, discard in a wireless communications system, the wireless communications system comprising the communications device and a receiver device, the communications device comprising:
 a control circuit for realizing functions of the communications device; 
 a processor installed in the control circuit, for executing a program code to command the control circuit; and 
 a memory installed in the control circuit and coupled to the processor for storing the program code; 
 wherein the program code comprises:
 activating a mode of “use of a special value of a header extension field”, wherein the mode represents that, in a protocol data unit, called PDU hereinafter, a header extension field with a special value indicates both that a succeeding octet following the header extension field contains data and that a last octet of the PDU is a last octet of a SDU; 
 forming a first PDU, wherein the first PDU contains a last SDU and a header extension field with the special value in the first PDU is used instead of a length indicator for indicating that the last octet of the last SDU is the last octet of the first PDU and that the succeeding octet following the header extension field contains data; 
 discarding a plurality of SDUs including the last SDU; and 
 setting a value of a field to be a sequence number of a second PDU, wherein the field is utilized for indicating the receiver to discard all not yet successfully received SDUs that have segments with sequence number being less than the value of the field, and the second PDU is next to the first PDU. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The communications device of  claim 6 , wherein the field is a Move Receiving Window Sequence Number field. 
     
     
       8. The communications device of  claim 6 , wherein the field is carried in a STATUS PDU. 
     
     
       9. The communications device of  claim 8 , wherein the program code further comprises outputting the STATUS PDU to the receiver device. 
     
     
       10. The communications device of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of SDUs contains only one SDU.